Taken

Chapter 13

"Aria,"

            I roll onto my side and squeeze my eyes shut while trying to drift back to sleep.

            "Aria," the familiar voice says again and I mutter a complaint as I bury my face deeper into my pillow.

            "Wake up, Aria." I feel someone shake my shoulder.

            Stifling a yawn, I rub the sleep out of my eyes and blink them open. My body is sluggish with sleep so it is hard to move. I glance up at the intruder who decided to wake me up from the bliss of my dreamless sleep and find Nina standing before me. She has her hands on her thighs and is slouched over with her head tilted as she watches me.

            "Why'd you wake me?" I complain half-heartedly as I try to remember what day it is.

            Nina just smiles at me. "It's time, dear sister. It's time for you to find me. The gates between the worlds are open. You have to save me, sis, you have to," she tells me with a hint of pleading in her tone as she kneels next to the bed and grasps my hand in hers.

            "What do you mean? You're right here, why would I need to find you?" I ask as my eyebrows furrow in confusion.

            I scan my bedroom only to find that everything is in its place. My homework is spread out on my desk, my laptop humming with electricity as the desktop background stares back at me. I try to recall what happened before I fell asleep, but I can't seem to remember anything.

            Weird.

            "Aria, you have to wake up so you can save me."

            "But I am up," I retort, frowning.

            Nina looks me in the eye. It is then that I notice her beginning to grow transparent. Her hold on my hand loosens and I can see the other side of the wall through her.

            "Wake up Aria," she repeats as she stands up, her eyes narrowing as she glares at me.

            "Nina?" I ask hesitantly as I reach towards her.

            I watch as she begins to take form again, but this time her skin is grey and her eyes are pitch black, making them appear hollow. Her mouth widens unnaturally as her teeth elongate into fangs and her nails into claws.

            I hastily back away, only to fall off of my bed. I continue to scramble backwards despite the throb in my behind until my back hits the wall. I glance back up at Nina to find her planted in the same spot, her eyes boring into mine menacingly.

            "N-Nina?" I manage to stutter out once more.